title: Factors related to caregiver state anxiety and coping with a child's chronic illness.
abstract: The resiliency of families, based on family functioning and family hardiness, may influence caregivers' anxiety while their child is in the hospital undergoing treatment for his or her chronic illness. The current study assessed the relationship among these factors for caregivers of children with various chronic illnesses who were residing at a local Ronald McDonald House (RMH). Caregivers completed paper-based questionnaires to assess family hardiness, functioning, and parent state anxiety and interviews to identify positive and negative strategies and behaviors affecting how they were coping with their child's illness. Findings indicated that family functioning mediated the relationship between family hardiness and caregiver anxiety as a resilience factor that further reduced caregiver anxiety. During interviews, caregivers suggested that support from family members strengthened their coping abilities. Negative interactions with their child's medical team and not knowing how or being equipped to help their child live with his or her illness heightened caregiver stress. Future research should focus on developing, implementing, and measuring the effectiveness of interventions to improve caregiver support, such as by holding caregiver support groups at local RMHs, especially during a child's hospitalization.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA. naborsla@ucmail.uc.edu
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Nabors
authors.forename: Jessica C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kichler
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brassell
authors.forename: Sunny
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thakkar
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartz
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pangallo
authors.forename: Bevin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van Wassenhove
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lundy
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult